Monday, January 30, 2012
Protecting Saved Seeds
As a home gardener I am also a seed saver. Seeds can be saved from any plant but heirlooms are preferred as they breed true unlike seeds from hybrid plants. Really from a genetic perspective if you cross two hybrids you have a 25% chance of the resulting plant being true for either of the homozygous traits but a 50% chance of it it being nothing like the parental plant. I grow and save
Protecting Saved Seeds
As a home gardener I am also a seed saver. Seeds can be saved from any plant but heirlooms are preferred as they breed true unlike seeds from hybrid plants. Really from a genetic perspective if you cross two hybrids you have a 25% chance of the resulting plant being true for either of the homozygous traits but a 50% chance of it it being nothing like the parental plant. I grow and save
New York!
7:54 AM
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We landed in New York yesterday and are already having the greatest time! We will be finding lots of wonderful things to bring back for the store (and maybe a few for ourselves), as well as eating our way through this great city! More to come...
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Kitchen Details
5:50 PM
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Hello everyone,
Did you have a lovely weekend? I spent some time taking pictures of everything from tulips to little ones in pink tutus so I will have more to share with you this week.
I have made a few changes in our kitchen. This harvest table was one we bought many years ago when all our children were young and used to sit around this table having their meals and doing homework etc.It was a dark pine when we bought it. Anyway,my daughter had it for her family and recently got a new one so when we got it back I thought it was time for a coat of white paint-now I like it a lot better but it only has the base coat on yet.
The red and white pitcher and basin came from Coulson's in Summerside a few years ago and I love it filled with white tulips locally grown.
The shelf above the wood pellet stove.
The walls in our kitchen are a gray color with a hint of taupe.
I like being able to display my red and white transferware in these little racks.
Thank you for visiting.
Carolyn
Country Home Giveaway
4:56 PM
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So, it seems I am not the only one with cabin fever, based on the comments in my last post.
Let's shake things up a little with a giveaway. Nothing cures cabin fever better that the postman bringing goodies to your door, right?
Remember Country Home magazine? One of my favorites. I happen to have 12 older issues dating from 2000 to 2008.
Would you like to have them?
I just flipped through them this weekend and they are still filled with amazing articles and photos that hold up to today.
No hoops to jump through here. Just leave a comment saying you would like to be entered in the giveaway. I will pick a winner using a random generator on Groundhog Day, Feb 2nd.
Good Luck!
Country Home Giveaway
4:56 PM
No comments
So, it seems I am not the only one with cabin fever, based on the comments in my last post.
Let's shake things up a little with a giveaway. Nothing cures cabin fever better that the postman bringing goodies to your door, right?
Remember Country Home magazine? One of my favorites. I happen to have 12 older issues dating from 2000 to 2008.
Would you like to have them?
I just flipped through them this weekend and they are still filled with amazing articles and photos that hold up to today.
No hoops to jump through here. Just leave a comment saying you would like to be entered in the giveaway. I will pick a winner using a random generator on Groundhog Day, Feb 2nd.
Good Luck!
Finished......for now
12:51 PM
No comments
Phew, going to market, it is complete!
Shopping, decisions (will this sell?) husband questioning "are you really thinking that will sell?!" (insert the stink eye look), loading, hauling back, unloading, rearranging the shops, pricing......embracing a cocktail. I know, I know, I really pinch myself and have fun on these antiquing jaunts, but.............love when it is over, till the next one that is!
What do you think of our haul? Hope you have fun looking!
Recycle, recycle was again the uppermost theme and one I can really embrace.
Re-purposed shipping crates supported with metal sides and finished with a steel top. Personally love the contrast of rough hewn and clean lined. It's all about contrasts
LOVE this concept. A friend goes to Europe frequently and buys discarded salvage. Not just salvage but that which no one else wants. Then her creativity is launched depending on what she finds.
Take vintage bottles, fuse with a band of copper one unbroken bottom with one unbroken top!
Again.....
1. take one broken wine jug
2. salvage the top
3. cut and add a band of copper
4. Viola.......a lovely cloche!
Stacking chairs intended for the heap
1. rescue
2. clean and paint the union jack on the seats.......they did come from London after all
Same concept, different chair, this time add a sparkling metal cover to the seat
A tobacco drying rack from Provence; add glass and a coffee table is born. Something of this stature is large and over scaled, a real statement piece. Blend with some shiny elements in a room for great contrast
Velvet giraffe fabric updates a 70's classic
Adoring shutters, the real ones. They can be interesting flanking your interior windows or hung on the wall. I recommend you hang them with the proper exterior hardware so they are not flat on the wall but slightly angled. Take it a step further by adding a sconce to the shutter for old-world influence
Remember the "aqua duct" cabinet from a previous post?
A recently completed project was painting this side table.
Adoring high-gloss oil paint, alas oil paint is outlawed, (I could be an outlaw)........I made a discovery. See that finish above, slick, with no brush or roller marks and virtually scratch proof? Well it is a Chicago paint manufacturer, Graham's and their 'Aqua Borne Ceramic' paint. Initially used in medical facilities for a impenetrable and sanitary finish. Personally I like the contrasts (did I use that word again?) between the high gloss top and the satin finish base.
The old fashioned Apothecary jars from the deco era mingling with miniature apothecary jars from Portugal
Remember the sail boat we found? Here it is in the shop with a backdrop of French school maps found in Normandy and appropriately.......a whale!
Have a splendid week and as always, thank you for visiting!
Debra
Coming up for air and a moving update!
******** Text and photo heavy.....have another cup of coffee******
Beautiful new chandelier for vestibule off foyer
Don't pay attention to our Chicken pox walls, this is the last area still to be painted
Chandeliers in living room hung!
Love them.....
Love this antique Chinese bowl
Love my little french men fruit bowl, looks great in this kitchen
Breakfast room
Close up.....
Slowly slowly, paper is coming off the stair railing!
Love starting to find a place for my little treasures
Forgot how much blue and white I have!
And some more.....
And more.......
Yep I think this is a good start!
And we are starting to unpack my crystal, silver and china for the pantry
A work in progress.........
Love the breakfast room on a sunny morning, and of course a cozy rainy morning and forget the snow....it was so beautiful!
Love a pop of yellow against the white and black in the kitchen
That big bowl over to the right is an antique Chinese bowl, its huge 2 1/2 feet wide and so beautiful.....was thinking it would be beautiful to fill with orchids. The beautiful tulips someone dropped off yesterday
Missed my crystal
And all the little pretties......
Temp display of blue and whites, will have to "play"
For now putting my pillows on the sofa...the colors work
Coming back from other house to find a newly arrived orchid from a friend was a sight for sore eyes!
A pretty pair of French chairs hubby bought at auction will probably eventually end up in living room
More boxes.........
My beautiful painted chest we bought in France for my bedroom
Bedroom with my old furniture, got the new chandelier up!
Beautiful french desk...we have to figure out where we are going to put it
Seating area in family room
Looking into breakfast room
Full view of the room.......
Another shot
Love the night time lighting.....
Just realized the Charmin kind of detracts...oops!
A beautiful French chest in guest room
Art waiting to be hung, they might be waiting a while!
More boxes!!!!!
Our lone pair of Winterthur chairs needs a home! These are very special chairs and one day I might just do a post on these chairs.
Only furniture in living room so far, our pair of two French chests from our previous house
Close up....sorry for the grainy pictures
Photo quality not so great.....blame it on the iPhone and my lame photography skills
So folks, that's a brief recap on whats been happening over here this last week. Its been one helluva week, my calf muscles, feet and back are so sore. Today I think I am going to christen my bathtub with a long soak. Fun, exciting, exhilarating, titillating, and exhausting all rolled into one is how I would describe moving. But make no mistake, it is great to be home at last!!!!!!!! Will be back when I can, wishing you a wonderful Sunday!





















































